Spain’s relationship with democracy is complicated.

While Spain arrested rapper Pablo Hasél this month for exercising his right to freedom of expression, Russia humiliated the European Union, which Spain is a member of, by highlighting the country’s repeated detention of Catalan political prisoners.

Catalonia, an autonomous region in northeast Spain, has been shaken by violent crackdowns of protesters following an October 2017 independence referendum. At least 800 people, many elderly, were beaten by Spanish police officers as they peacefully tried to vote. Images circulated online, which led to outrage as well as rebukes by several human rights organizations—despite silence from European institutions.

Full article at Newsweek’s website. Date of publication: 02/03/2021.